Reading

At Overdale Junior School, we believe that a love of reading opens doors to imagination, knowledge, and lifelong learning.

Reading is woven into the fabric of our school culture. We view reading not just as an important skill but as a joyful habit that helps children (and adults alike) explore new worlds and understand diverse perspectives. Through books, we all learn to empathise with and respect different voices and ideas.

Through developing a love of reading, our children learn to deepen their understanding of the world around them, to take responsibility for their own learning and to build resilience through meeting new vocabulary, complex texts and challenging themes.

Whether it’s sharing stories together, deepening comprehension through exploring different reading skills or diving into independent reading, we nurture confident, curious readers who carry these values with them beyond the classroom.

Our joint reading leads are Mrs Cross and Mr Mann.

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Reading Offer at Overdale Junior School

Year 3 Reading

Year 4 Reading

Year 5 Reading

Year 6 Reading

Progression Of Skills 

Question Stems For Guided Reading

For more information about Accelerated Reader, please see the attached document:

AR Parents Guide Updated

How does Accelerated Reader work?

1. Choose

Each child will know their own ZPD  (Zone of Proximal Development); they may refer to this as their ‘Reading Level’.

Children choose books within their ZPD which ensures that the books offer the most appropriate range of challenge.

2. Read

Children are encouraged to read their chosen texts both at school and at home. 

3. Quiz

Once each child has finished their book, they will be able to take a fun and interactive reading quiz. Each child will receive a ‘Quiz score’ which offers instant feedback to the child with regards to how well they have understood the book. Teachers are provided with feedback to help inform their planning and assess the child’s understanding and readiness to move to the next ZPD.

4. Celebrate

Reading is celebrated in our weekly assemblies as well as our weekly reading raffle. We are very excited to introduce our Reading Vending Machine which is now proudly sitting in our reception! Soon, the children will earn tokens so that they can come and choose their very own books from our vending machine.

Reading Spine (Under consultation)

Reading Roads

Guide to Boom Reader

Year 3 Recommended Reads

Year 4 Recommended Reads

Year 5 Recommended Reads

Year 6 Recommended Reads

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For more information about Boom Reader, please visit:

https://www.boomreader.co.uk/parents

We use Boom Reader, a digital reading record that helps us to work closely with yourself (the families) to support children’s reading. Through the app, you can quickly log home reading, add comments and track progress online; our teachers can monitor reading engagement and celebrate success alongside you.
Boom Reader helps encourage positive reading habits, promotes reading for pleasure and makes communication between home and school simple and effective. We encourage all families to use Boom Reader regularly to help develop a lifelong love of reading.
For more information, please ask your child’s teacher.

Scholastic Reading Audit

Reading Charter

📚 Our Junior Leadership Team: Building Our Library Together

Our Junior Leadership Team worked hard to select a wide range of new books for our library with the money raised from the book fair.

Our young leaders didn’t just pick their favourite books – they approached this like true professionals:

  • Listened to their peers – They gathered suggestions from pupils across all year groups to make sure everyone’s interests were represented
  • Researched carefully – They explored different genres, authors, and topics to create a balanced collection
  • Made thoughtful decisions – They considered which books would appeal to reluctant readers, challenge confident readers, and support our curriculum themes
  • Worked as a team – They discussed their choices, debated options, and reached decisions together

Our library now boasts an exciting collection of new titles that reflect the diverse interests of our school community. From adventure stories and non-fiction about space, to books celebrating different cultures and experiences – there’s truly something for everyone.

This project wasn’t just about buying books – it was about giving our Junior Leadership Team real responsibility and showing them that their voices matter. They’ve learned valuable skills in:

  • Decision-making and teamwork
  • Budget management
  • Understanding their school community’s needs
  • Taking pride in contributing to school life

Visit our library to explore the fantastic new collection, and don’t forget to thank our Junior Leadership Team for their brilliant work!